Michael Copland runs a hybrid system on 310 hectares, with 230 hectares dedicated to dairy farming. He milks 750 cows, winters his own stock, raises young stock, and grows his own grain. "We're pretty in-house really. It works, it's a good system and we're a family farm – fifth generation now."
Before deciding on smaXtec, Michael Copland looked at a range of different options: “We did look at pretty much every company, and we chose smaXtec mainly because of the health side of it. The big thing was the temperatures and the water intake. We're very happy with our decision and, so far, it's been great.”
Early detection means prevention rather than cure
For Michael Copland, monitoring internal body temperature provides an early indication of when something isn't right: “With an increase in temperature, we know it's either an infection or she's got an illness. With a decrease, if she hasn't calved, it's usually calving. If she has calved, it's definitely a metabolic issue for us.”
That has also reduced the number of cows requiring antibiotic treatment. “For us, it’s about getting those cows early through temperature alerts. Our antibiotic use has dropped, and our anti-inflammatory use has gone up.”
When asked whether they now have to discard less milk due to antibiotic treatments, Michael Copland's answer was clear: “Totally. Instead of treating those cows, there could be five or six a week that are staying in the milking herd and not going on antibiotics, if we get them early enough.”
That proactive approach has made a noticeable difference in overall cow health on farm: “We have had very little issues with cow health now. It's prevention rather than cure for us.” But for Michael Copland, that's only part of the story: “It's taking a lot of pressure off – no more worrying about it. Now it's done automatically. It's insane with the alerts.”
With smaXtec, better mating decisions become easier
One of the reasons Michael Copland decided to bring smaXtec onto the farm was to improve reproductive performance. Although this is his first mating season with smaXtec, he has already noticed a big difference: “I think it's going pretty good. It's a lot easier for us.”
One area where he has seen particularly good results is heat detection: “The pre-mating reports with our vets have been great. We get the information and can plan the start of mating. We had 95% of our heifers cycling and 86% of the herd. Before smaXtec, I didn’t have any of that information – it was really just a guesstimate with a bit of tail paint.”
The benefits extend well beyond the mating season. smaXtec also helps him manage cows through calving: “When they're calving, their rumination drops and the temperature drops, and we know they're due to calve in the next 16 to 18 hours or so. That's been a big one for us.”
Having better information during the transition period has also resulted in fewer health issues after calving: “We didn't lose any cows from milk fever. The year before, it would've been six or seven – before smaXtec. It's been a big saving when cows are worth a lot of money.”
Understanding the herd starts with rumination data
For Michael Copland, one of the biggest benefits is being able to closely monitor rumination and feeding performance: “Being on fodder beet, we wanted to make sure our cows weren't crashing with rumination and getting acidosis. With smaXtec, we can get that exactly right and keep rumination where we want it to be. Then they're never hungry.”
That proved especially valuable under difficult conditions: “It's been a pretty challenging spring, but we managed to keep our rumination around and above 500 minutes through the spring, which is pretty good.”
Having the information available at any time helps him make better day-to-day decisions on the farm: “Before, we didn’t really know what was wrong. Now, having the information means we can make decisions.” One example of that was a case of subclinical ketosis that would otherwise have gone unnoticed: “Once I had an alert for ketosis. The heifers were losing weight and their rumination was dropping, so we pulled them out. Without that data, I never would have known. It was all subclinical – they looked completely fine.”
What water intake reveals
What surprised Michael Copland the most was the insight into individual water intake: “I would say the water intake was a big thing. It's surprising how much they drink and then over the winter on a cold day, how little they drink. We also used the water intake data for picking up issues with water troughs. smaXtec sends us alerts and we'll soon know about it. It's pretty important for us.”
Beyond water intake, smaXtec also helps the farmer manage heat stress during the warmer months: “I could see the group temperature rising. Heat stress is a big thing in Canterbury – we've got no trees for the cows to get under.”
“I could just keep an eye on the cows from anywhere”
For Michael Copland, the value of smaXtec goes beyond insights into cow health and performance. It also gives him greater peace of mind, knowing he can check on his cows wherever he is: “I could just keep an eye on the cows from anywhere really, even in hospital. I recently had a back surgery. I could monitor the cows from my phone and my laptop. It was just peace of mind to know things are done right.”
